


The Nobodies of Eterna 3: Knight and Page

by dahlys



Series: Eterna Legend [3]
Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-01
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-04-02 08:48:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4053901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dahlys/pseuds/dahlys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Paladin, leader of the Church forces. High General of the Kingdom Army, who valiantly defended the Kingdom from the demon horde. </p><p>With such an impressive resume, it's a wonder that the Ice Queen Katrea Knight could wander the streets of Capital City anonymously. But she can.</p><p>What should one do when their efforts aren't recognized?</p><p>"I'm switching jobs. Page, come with me!"</p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <img/>
  </p>
</div>
            </blockquote>





	1. Forgotten Hero

_I am Katrea Knight, General of the Kingdom Army and Paladin of the Holy Church. I have spent the last five years at the battlefront, defending my kingdom against the invading demon hordes. I have won battle after battle, with not a single failure to my name._

Katrea marched through town. Despite her being in full dress armor, emblazoned with the Paladin’s symbol, no one even took a second glance at her. Her, the highest ranking Knight of the Holy Church. Her, the General who led the army against the demons.

Her, who was supposed to be the hero of the war.

Grumbling in dissatisfaction, she failed to notice where she was going. _Bump!_ She walked right into someone by accident. She was just about to apologize, when she noticed the boy’s fingers reaching toward her pocket. With superhuman reflexes, she grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back.

“Ow ow ow ow ow!” he groaned in pain.

Katrea sighed. “As expected of this crowded street, there are bound to be some enterprising folks around. So? What should I do with you?” she asked the young pickpocket, staring at him sternly.

Apparently, her stern glare was frightening, as the boy began to tremble in fear. She sighed again. All she did was look at him, but he was already so terrified that he was shitting his pants. No wonder they had nicknamed her the Ice Queen, even though she felt that she had done nothing to deserve it.

“You’re going to drag him off to the yard? On a fine day such as this?” came the hoarse voice of another boy around the same age as the pickpocket. He was young enough to still sound like a child, but signs that his voice was about to break were already evident. He was short, shorter than Katrea, and so thin he seemed to be just skin and bone. A baggy, ill-fitting military uniform was draped over his skinny frame. It was so loose that it looked like it would be more of a hindrance than protection during battle. A messy mop of black hair sat on top of his head, and equally black eyes peered out from between the long bangs.

“Page,” said Katrea moodily. Indeed, the boy was the page who served her, a Knight of the Holy Church. However, she wasn’t calling him by his rank. The boy’s name just happened to be Elliot Page. 

“It’s a festival to celebrate our victory. We should enjoy it! Let him go, I think he’s already learned his lesson,” said Page casually. He looked at the frightened boy and winked at him playfully. Katrea sighed again and loosened her grip. The pickpocket immediately bolted as quickly as his legs could carry him.

As he watched the pickpocket go, Elliot asked Katrea, “Shouldn’t you be preparing for the banquet? I’m quite looking forward to seeing you in a fancy dress, you know.”

Katrea snorted. “I’m not attending the banquet to attract men, unlike most of the airheads there. This dress uniform will suffice.”

“I know, I know. But don’t you ever feel like dressing up for the sake of, you know, just doing it?” Elliot moved closer to Katrea as she began walking down the street again. Several soldiers appeared to clear a path in the middle of the road and form a blockade. Katrea turned to stare at them curiously.

“No,” she said in answer to Elliot’s question. “What are those men doing shouting like wild beasts? There are more civilized and effective ways of sending people away…” Katrea tried to move toward the soldiers, but Elliot stuck out his arm in front of her and motioned her to stop.

“Nuh uh. Not today, General. Today is your off day. You’re not supposed to help organize a festival held in your honor. That doesn’t make any sense!” he joked.

Katrea’s frown only deepened when she hears Elliot’s comment. “This festival is not held in my, nor the army’s, honor. It is held in the Great Hero’s honor. He is, after all, the man who ended the long, painful war with his notable accomplishments. We are simply decoration to make the party a little livelier.”

_Ahh, as expected, that was how she felt._ Elliot flashed Katrea a look of sympathy. “It must feel terrible, huh. All that effort you put in, precious years of your youth wasted, and no one sees you in the same light as the lauded assassin that took out the demon lords.”

“What are you saying. If anyone heard you right now, you’d be tried for treason,” said Katrea stiffly.

“Is the General of the Kingdom Army and Paladin of the Holy Church not going to arrest me?” Elliot grinned. He knew that he was treading a fine line by making fun of her, but they had a good enough relationship that she would at least not decapitate him on a whim.

“I could arrest you for all manner of crimes,” threatened Katrea. Although her tone was cold as the frozen North, Elliot could sense the barest hint of kindness beneath her harsh exterior.

“Alright, enough of work.” Elliot grabbed Katrea’s hand and tugged at her. “Let’s go on a date!”

A haughty look on her face, Katrea sneered, “I don’t date kids who are still wet behind the ears.”

“Not even to that cafe by the river? The one that makes the mouth-watering, delicately flavored, elaborately patterned strawberry shortcake?” said Elliot.

Katrea swallowed her saliva. She was definitely tempted.

Elliot Page straightened out his clothes, cleared his throat and held out his hand in a gentlemanly manner. He then invited her, saying, “Would my Lady allow this humble gentleman to be her escort for the day?”

“Shut up, kiddo,” snapped Katrea coldly. However, she started walking in the direction of the cafe. When she noticed that Elliot was not following her, she turned her head and added, “Why are you still standing there like a statue. Come, Page!”

“Yes, Ma'am!” replied Page as he readily fell into step behind her.


	2. Decision

“How was the party?” asked Elliot Page, reclining on his favorite sofa in Katrea Knight’s office. In his hands, he toyed with a crystal skull.

As Katrea stared at the skull, the abnormal flow of mana within the object sent a wave of pain through her brain, as if it had been zapped by lightning. The crystal skull was an object of darkness and conflicted with her light element that came of being a holy knight, hence giving her a headache. She immediately took her eyes away from it and glared at Elliot instead.

“Put that thing away,” she growled. Her eyes were stern, suggesting that she was utterly serious and would not entertain any of Elliot’s antics.

Wordlessly, Elliot shoved the crystal skull somewhere in his clothes. Although she accepted it and had kept silent about it, he knew that Katrea hardly approved of him playing with black magic.

Since the dawning days thousands of years past, the Church had always been in conflict with what it deemed as “black magicians”. This had resulted in a number of tragedies, including witch burning, undead wars, and cursed plagues. The destruction caused was always blamed on the evil black magicians who had used forbidden magic.

In Elliot’s perspective though, these tragedies were caused as much by the Church as by the black magicians. Although black magic was a terrible weapon, the practitioners had been driven into using it under pressure from the Church. Driven into a corner, Elliot felt like they simply had no choice but to retaliate. 

Magic in itself was innocent. Black magic wasn’t evil; it did not have a will of its own. Only the user could decide whether it was used for good or for evil. This Elliot strongly believed. Even what the world called white magic, healing magic for example, could be used for evil if it was used to heal an enemy.

Katrea Knight leaned back in her comfy office chair and pulled up some official documents that needed her signature. She wasn’t truly reading them, though. Her thoughts were lined with worry for Elliot Page, her ward. Although she wasn’t strongly opposed to Elliot’s opinion on magic or his study of black magic, she was concerned that he would hurt himself in the process of researching unknown and dangerous spells.

Even so, she would not stop him. They had shared a painful past, and this was Elliot’s way of making up for it. As for her, she could only protect him as best as she could. 

No, she absolutely had to protect him no matter what, even at the expense of her life. She had made a promise, and an honorable knight would never break a promise.

Elliot looked bored curled up in the sofa, so she said, “The parade was alright, but the banquet was a disaster.”

Elliot’s ears immediately perked up. “Oh, how so?” he said. “I heard that there had been a commotion involving the Great Hero’s brother, is it related?”

Katrea nodded. “Everything was normal until the marriage ceremony began. The hero refused to marry the princess, saying he didn’t love her, even though he had agreed to it earlier, before his meeting with his brother. As a concession, though, he said that he was willing to date her and start a relationship. That was when everything went wrong. Apparently, the cleric and the archer in his party had secret crushes on him, and they immediately confessed. The girls started a flame war, and then I left.”

“What? Why didn’t you stay for the show? The political circles must be in turmoil now,” said Elliot.

Katrea rolled her eyes. “I’m not interested. He’ll end up with a harem, anyway.”

“Really?” asked Elliot. “By the way, what happened to the brother? He was executed this morning, right? What was his crime?”

“He apparently murdered his mentor in the College. Also, he was scheduled to be executed, but he escaped from prison and is on the run. The investigation so far has turned up very little information. This leads me to suspect that a very influential person was involved.”

“An influential person helping that man? Who would want to make themselves an enemy of the Kingdom and the Church?”

“Cain Lockhart killed his mentor over a work dispute. It was a significant discovery in the eyes of the philosophers, and he was the most knowledgeable about it. To put it in their words, it was a piece of bygone history proving the existence of an ancient civilization far more advanced than ours. Perhaps someone important wanted that knowledge.”

“Wow! That sounds like a recipe for an adventure! Cool!” exclaimed Elliot in amazement. Suddenly, his expression changed as he came to a realization. “Wait. Why do you know so much about this?”

“I was put in charge of the investigation,” complained Katrea. As a general, the investigation of petty crimes was beneath her. However, this problem concerned the Great Hero, so they wanted someone higher up working on it just to impress their savior. 

_The Great Hero again. She gets upset whenever he is mentioned._ “Are you jealous of the Great Hero, General?” asked Elliot.

Katrea finally snapped. She shouted, “Who wouldn’t be?! Everyone fought so hard, but he takes all the credit just because he assassinated their king! Tell me, is that fair?”

“Everyone? Is that how you really feel?” mumbled Elliot.

Katrea fell silent. After a long, awkward silence, she whispered, “No. It was me. It was all me. I wanted to be the hero of the war.”

“It was my fault for leaving the Church and joining the army. My fault for taking so many of the Church soldiers with me, who perished in battle.”

“It was my fault that Elias died.”

“WRONG!” yelled Elliot. “You weren’t wrong for leaving the Church, you saved many lives by doing so. You aren’t wrong for wanting to be a hero, everyone wants to be one. Elias too! You did not force Elias to go with you, it was his own choice. Even if it led to his death! He died a hero!”

“And you’re a hero too! Whether the world recognizes you as one or not!”

Katrea argued, “It’s not like I went to war to be recognized as a hero! It would just make me a little happier, that’s all!”

“Then, then...” panted Elliot. He took a deep breath and said, “How would we tell the world how great you are? I’ve been beside you for a while, I know, you’re an amazing woman...”

After venting, Katrea felt much better. Still, it was embarrassing that a child like Elliot had to be the one to calm her, an adult, down. She got up and sat on the sofa opposite Elliot, thinking hard. 

Then, an interesting idea struck her like a thunderbolt. She said, “The way I’m going, I could never be famous.”

Elliot made a sad expression. “Yeah,” he agreed.

“So.”

“You know what to do next?” Elliot’s eyes widened in shock as Katrea's face brightened, quite unlike her usual stern, gloomy self.

“I’m switching jobs. Page, come with me!”


	3. Partners

“Ehhh??? What do you mean, switching jobs?” exclaimed Elliot, flabbergasted.

Katrea gave a rare smile. She hadn’t felt this refreshed in a long time, since before the war with the demons started. No, she hadn’t felt like this ever since she had been chosen as the Paladin, strongest knight of the Church, seven years ago. _This is it_ , she thought.

“I mean what I said. I’m resigning as the Paladin, and as a knight. Let’s go on an adventure!” she said elatedly.

The corners of Elliot’s lips twitched. “But wasn’t becoming the Paladin your dream? You worked really hard to get where you are today!”

She shrugged and said, “I’ll find a new dream.”

“I don’t understand what you are saying! Are you drunk, ma’am?” Elliot stood up abruptly and grabbed her by the shoulders. He thought about shaking her, but abandoned the idea immediately. She would beat him to a pulp for disrespecting her.

“You see, Elliot, it isn’t just about the lack of recognition. Of course, that’s a large source of frustration. But even not considering that, recently, I’ve begun to feel stifled. Like I’ve stagnated. Do you know, Page? I’ve gotten more experienced, I’ve gotten more battle scars, but I haven’t gotten any stronger for seven years.”

Elliot looked worried. “Even so, that’s no reason to suddenly up and quit. A lot of people need you. To protect the peace and give them hope.”

Katrea snorted in disgust. “The Great Hero can do that. The war is over. They don’t need soldiers anymore. Whether I choose to stay here or return to the Church, there is nothing awaiting me except a lot of politics and meaningless paperwork.

“Besides, it’s high time we began searching.”

“Searching for what?” Elliot asked, confused.

“Your answers. The reason for Elias death, and his resurrection.”

Elliot’s jaw dropped in shock.

Katrea’s smile vanished and her cold aura returned. She said icily, “Do you think I’m blind? I know what you have been researching. You said that you wanted magic that would let you communicate with the dead, but that’s not all. You want to bring your precious elder brother, my former squire, Elias Page back to life. That is the real reason you have been studying necromancy.”

Elliot began, “I...” but Katrea interrupted him. “And I let you do it. So, I am just as guilty as you are. Besides, have you noticed?”

“Noticed what?” asked Elliot.

“That people have been taking turns following you. I doubt they’ve noticed you playing around with black magic, or they would have blown the whistle already. The reason you’re being stalked is...”

“It must be that.” Elliot sighed and said, “People think you’re only being nice to a lousy, weak page like me because you feel guilty for Elias’s death. I’m already fourteen, and still not strong enough to be promoted to squire. Especially the others my age, they think that I’m taking advantage of you, and they want evidence to get rid of me so they can take my place. You’re really popular, after all.”

The edges of Katrea’s lips curled slightly in amusement. “Taking advantage of me? Now _that’s_ something new.” She remained silent for a while after that to let Elliot slowly digest the information and make his own decision.

Elliot finally stuttered, “I...suppose it’s not good for me to keep staying here.”

“Good. Pack up your things, we’re going back to the Church to settle my resignation.” With that, Katrea stood up and left the office like a gale.

* * *

“Do you know where we have to go after leaving the Church?” asked Elliot. He shifted his bottom, which was most certainly covered in sores, uncomfortably on his saddle. He ought to have gotten used to long rides by now, after traveling to so many places during the war on horseback. _Keyword: “ought to”. This is definite proof that traveling is not my thing!_

“The Adventurer’s Guild, of course. We’ll need money to travel, as well as a source of information. The Guild satisfies all that criteria. If I can prove my strength we might be able to access the high-rank quests that involve undead.” Unlike Elliot, Katrea looked perfectly comfortable riding on her white stallion. That didn’t mean she was relaxed, though. They were traveling through the countryside, and annoying highwaymen could appear anytime. She had to constantly be on alert so that they would not be taken by surprise.

Elliot sighed. He grumbled, “By the way, why do we have to ride _horses_ to the Church when we could have just gotten on an airship? At the least, we could have borrowed an autocarriage from the Church...”

“There’s somewhere I have to go first and I do not want to be tracked,” said Katrea. Elliot waited for her to provide more detail, but she said nothing. He could only continue riding in silence and speculate as to what Katrea wanted to do.

As expected, with Katrea’s elaborate-looking armor and large packs, they were easily targeted by highwaymen. A large group of them hid in the forest near the road, waiting to charge out and ambush the woman and the boy.

However, Katrea had already noticed them. Approximately a hundred meters away, she brought her mount to a halt. She then took a deep breath and shouted calmly, “I know you’re there. Come out.”

There was a long pause as Elliot nervously waited. He had been in many battles with demons, but this was the first time he would face a human enemy.

Eventually, the highwaymen came out of the forest. They rode on strong, sturdy workhorses, not bred for speed or war, but for pulling heavy wagons. These men used to be farmers. They had likely been driven out of their homes by the flames of war, or because they could not afford to pay the increased taxes. Elliot felt a pang of sympathy for them, but at the same time he understood that this was not the time for pity.

_One, two, three… about twenty in total,_ counted Katrea. _Good._ Katrea whispered so that only Elliot could hear, “Use what you have learned to fight them, Elliot. Show me you’re worthy to be my partner.”

With a troubled expression, Elliot exclaimed, “Ehhh? You’re going to help me, right?”

“I will be watching. Suppress your emotions and analyze your situation calmly.”

Elliot grit his teeth, worried. He wasn’t a good swordsman but he was small, agile, and had honed his survival skills to the max. Also, Katrea allowed him to go all out this time. As long as he was careful, he wouldn’t lose. Of course, he wasn’t so strong that he could wipe out a group of highwaymen in seconds, like Katrea. 

He placed a hand on his short sword for comfort, although he knew that if he had a chance to use it, that would mean he had failed and would be killed. For a magic user, letting any enemy get close usually implied certain death.

The leader of the highwaymen began, “Leave all your belongings or...” but Katrea suddenly interjected, “Now!”

Elliot held his hand out and shouted, “ _Glacies conus!_ “ Responding to his cry, water in the air condensed and ice splayed across the ground in a cone-shape. Losing their footing, the horses walking on the ice slipped and fell, sending their riders flying. “Mage!” one of them cried. Several riders at the back barely managed to pull their horses to a halt in time, but their inexperience with group battle only caused them to get in each others’ way. The riders in front and to the side, who had avoided the ice, were now wary of Elliot and charged him from both sides.

“ _Umbra manus!_ “ Elliot released the second spell he had prepared. Shadow hands sprouted out of the ground in a circle around him, grabbing onto the horses’ hooves as they approached. Surprised at the magic around them, the untrained horses reared and panicked. Elliot, who rode a warhorse trained for battle and used to magic, had his mount retreat about twenty meters away from the group as he began another chant.

Several of the highwaymen riding at the back had recovered from their confusion and were beginning to regroup. Elliot would not give them that chance. He raised both hands to the sky and a giant magic circle appeared beneath the entire group of highwaymen. He commanded, “ _Nocte inferno!_ “

Immediately, the entire area covered by the magic circle erupted into black flame, turning everything within to ashes. The highwaymen did not even have time to scream in pain before their throats were burnt, followed by all their flesh. Eventually, even their bones became charcoal and crumbled to dust, leaving nothing but a large charred circle of sand.

Elliot stared wordlessly at the scene of death before him. He threw up. This was the first time he had killed a man, not a monster or a demon. It sickened him to the core, even more so since these were men to be pitied.

Katrea stared at Elliot emotionlessly. She knew she had put him through a terrible trial, but this was something that he needed to experience if he wanted to travel with her. “Let’s go,” she said. With that, she nudged her horse forward and continued on her way.

Seeing that she was leaving, Elliot was left with no choice but to clean himself up hastily and hurry after her. He tried his hardest not to look back and to put what just happened behind him, but it was impossible. As his mount trotted away, he turned his head around and felt like his heart was being torn apart.

When the burnt circle was out of sight, Katrea said, “From now on, we are partners.”

Elliot sobbed, “General! I...”

“Just Katrea will do. Soon, I won’t be a general or even a knight anymore.”

“D-Did we have to do that? Those people were...”

“They were outlaws. They threatened us with force and we retaliated to save ourselves. You could easily have been the one lying on the ground back there in a pool of your own blood. The reason they became criminals is irrelevant.”

“...” Elliot could not find a counter-argument for that. It was the logical conclusion. Still, he hoped that things were different. He asked hopefully, “Will the world become peaceful again?”

Katrea only replied coldly, “It was never peaceful, and never will be.”


	4. Copycat

“We’re here,” announced Katrea.

It was a small village in the middle of nowhere, named Merrydell. The buildings were all old-fashioned loghouses, two floors high at most. There was only one street running through the village, which seemed almost deserted even though it was noon.

The only people on the street were a middle-aged woman and an old man. The woman rode on a cart full of apples, pulled by a short, fat donkey. She was moving in the opposite direction from the two travellers, and did not notice them. The old man, who had been tending to his garden, glared at them suspiciously, but did not approach them.

Katrea dismounted and tied her horse to a tree. Elliot quietly followed suit. “Why did we come here? Is this your hometown?” he asked, but Katrea did not reply. She simply walked down the street like she was very familiar with the village, and stopped at a nondescript cottage.

The cottage was by no means shabby, it was built sturdily and painted a pretty baby blue. The garden was very well tended, with flowers of all colours blooming and no weeds in sight. Katrea lightly stepped through the pebble paved front porch, a slight smile on her face. Elliot was stunned. He had never seen such a gentle expression on her face before.

Elliot’s heart was struck by a pang of jealousy. Just who was it who could elicit such a response from the Ice Queen Katrea? He felt conflicted; he was both curious to know who it was and this person’s relation to her, and anxious because he did not want to meet this person.

Katrea knocked on the whitewashed wooden door. The wood was well maintained, with no splinters. “Stop pestering me, you annoying old fogey! I’ll be done in another day or so!” someone inside shouted. It was the voice of a young man. Elliot clenched his teeth nervously. 

A few seconds later, the door opened. Inside, a dirty man wearing a paint-stained shirt and jeans, an apron for cleaning, and a pair of old boots greeted them. In one hand, he held a broomstick as if ready to sweep whoever was at the doorstep away. “I’d say... Eh? Y-you are?!” His eyes widened in shock.

“Hello, Peter,” said Katrea. “Is Wendy around?”

“Yes, she’s in the kitchen.” Peter tried to neaten up his appearance and set the broomstick aside. “Take a seat and I’ll go get her.”

“Thank you,” said Katrea. She entered the house and walked straight to the living room. Elliot followed her quietly.

Katrea sat down and looked around her. She had spent many hours in here as a child, but although there were things that had remained the same, there were also many changes.

“Feeling nostalgic?” said a woman about Katrea’s age. She was petite and curvy with cute, rounded features. Elliot thought that she was pretty, but she had a beauty that was different from Katrea’s. Katrea gave off a feeling of elegance and majesty, but she was also distant and unapproachable. This woman, on the other hand, was warm and charming.

“Of course. I haven’t been back here for years,” replied Katrea. “It’s changed quite a lot though. Where did all the other young people go? I only saw old folks in town, and they were very friendly.”

The woman laughed. “Friendly? I bet they were.” Then, as abrubtly as it had begun, her clear, ringing laughter stopped and was replaced by a sad expression. “Everyone’s gone. There’s no future for this village. Ever since the automated farming industry boomed, there’s no point in being a farmer anymore. We simply can’t compete with machines.”

“Then why do you still live here?” Elliot couldn’t help but ask.

The woman exchanged a glance with Katrea, clearly surprised that Katrea hadn’t told Elliot. Katrea sighed and said, “Wendy here, and her husband Peter, are artists. They make a living selling their work to the cities.”

“I see,” said Elliot, but he still found that hard to believe. Why would a young couple want to live in a small village with only old folks for company?

“So, I doubt you came all the way to this remote village just to visit,” said Wendy. She knew that with Katrea’s status, she would not have the leisure to return to a mostly deserted hometown. 

Katrea nodded, a serious look on her face. She whispered in a barely audible voice, “I need Copycat.”

Peter suddenly stood up and his expression turned hostile. He growled, “Do you even know what you’re saying?!” However, before he could continue, Wendy interrupted him. She said nervously, “Katrea, what is this about?”

Katrea activated her dimension ring and took out a round metal disc about the size of her palm. It was decorated with intricate carvings and within it, Elliot could sense a powerful light magic enchantment. He leaned over to take a closer look and immediately recognized the design. The Sun with thirteen swords pointing outwards from it instead of light rays. He exclaimed, “That’s the Sol Emblem!”

Elliot’s heart skipped a beat. _The Sol Emblem is the most important treasure of the Holy Church! Why is Katrea taking it out now?_

Katrea held the Sol Emblem out and said, “I need a perfect replica of this.”

Wendy tossed a quick glance at Peter, who sighed in resignation and nodded. She then took the emblem from Katrea and began to examine it. As she turned it over and over, she mumbled, “This is made of mithril, and the design is doable, but...” Wendy frowned, then continued, “There’s a complex mechanism inside intertwined with the enchantment. This is the work of the Ancients.”

Katrea nodded in understanding. “Could you simply imitate it on the surface though? I doubt anyone has a deep enough knowledge of the emblem’s inner mechanism to notice anything suspicious. I have studied it quite a bit, and can help with the outer mechanism and weaving the enchantment.” Katrea activated her dimension ring again, this time taking out several bars of mithril. “Here is the mithril. Keep the extra as payment.”

Wendy picked up the mithril bars and inspected them. They were indeed the highest quality mithril, and worth a fortune. Wendy hesitated for a moment, then said resolutely, “I’ll do it. But only because you’re my friend, Katrea.”

Katrea smiled. “Thank you,” she said. “I’ll leave you to your work then. Call me when you need me.” She then stood up promptly and walked toward the door. Jerked out of his dazed state by Katrea’s sudden movement, Elliot clumsily followed her out. His mind was overflowing with questions.

When they had left the house, Katrea explained, “The Sol Emblem contains a secret that even the Church doesn’t know about. The Church adopted it as it’s symbol because of it’s powerful light element enchantment, but the Emblem was originally an artifact of the Ancients.”

Elliot stuttered, “Even so, why? I thought that the Ancients were just a myth! And who are those two really?”

“I’ll answer your second question first. Wendy is known in the black market as Copycat, an artist capable of making perfect replicas of even the most intricate and unique pieces. She is thus targeted by many criminals and lives in this quiet village, keeping her identity hidden. Peter, her husband, is the opposite. He is a real artist creating original works. In doing so, he also covers for his wife.

“As for how I know them, Wendy was my childhood friend. She’s always been good at copying stuff. So when I saw the wanted notice for Copycat, I thought that it might be her and questioned her. As you can see, though, I let her go and destroyed the notice.

“About the Sol Emblem, I’ve studied it quite a bit ever since I became Paladin. Because of the war, I was allowed to take it out of the Church and use it against the demons. The Church had deciphered some of its uses, but even they do not know it’s true purpose, or what it even is.

“But one thing is for sure. The Sol Emblem holds a great secret that someone in the distant past wanted to share. However, that person also made sure that only someone worthy could unravel that secret.”

“So you’re doing all this for that reason? We don’t even know if that secret is worth it or not! Plus, it’s dangerous! If the Church finds out that you replaced the Sol Emblem with a fake, what will become of us?” Elliot heart was thumping furiously with anxiety.

Katrea grinned. “Adventures are supposed to be exciting, wouldn’t you agree?

“Now, let’s make ourselves comfortable in one of these empty houses while we wait for Copycat to finish her work.”


	5. To the Future

“I wish to retire.” Katrea Knight’s clear voice echoed clearly throughout the entire room.

Everyone in the meeting room immediately fell into a shocked silence. Among them was the Pope, the bishops, and the knight-generals. 

_This is the first time such a thing has happened, so of course they are shocked. Being the Paladin is the highest honor of all, so no Paladin in the history of the Chuch has quit before! The next Paladin has always been chosen after the previous one died!_

Katrea placed her holy sword and the Sol Emblem on the round table, shattering the tension with the clang of the heavy longsword. She said, “If that is all, I’ll be leaving now.”

Katrea moved toward the door, but then came the sound of an old man’s voice, saying, “Could you tell us why you are doing this?” Although the voice was an old man’s, Katrea could clearly sense the great strength behind it. This was one old man who wouldn’t be expiring anytime soon despite his advanced age.

Katrea spun around to face the Pope, the leader of the Church and her only superior. It had been this man who had drafted her into the Church knights and nominated her for the Paladin selection. To everyone in the Church, he was a kind and respected father.

Katrea hesitated for a moment, and then said resolutely, “I’m tired of war, fighting, and death. I wish to embark on a journey to search for a better purpose in life. Also...” _I wanted to be recognized for my efforts. Mine. Not the Church’s. How selfish am I?_

“Also?” prompted the Pope, smiling benevolently.

Katrea looked at several of the bishops and knight-generals with contempt. They had opposed her promotion to Paladin based on unjust reasons, and tried to bring her down with dirty means. Power-hungry bastards like these were everywhere, pretending to uphold the Church’s high morals while doing the very opposite. She coldly said, “I am hardly interested in playing petty politics. Now that the war has ended, I foresee a collapse of unity and the return of Church factions. Please leave me out of this mess.”

A knight-general, Sir Bedivere, pounded his fist on the hard wooden table. “You! What are you implying about us? This outrageous behavior will not be forgiven!”

However, the Pope raised a hand to silence Sir Bedivere. He knew that Katrea had said that on purpose to incite him and several of the other senior clergy. He was well aware of the conflicts within his own Church, but was powerless to stop it. Since Katrea was retiring, though, she was not afraid to voice her resentment. 

The Pope sighed sadly. Despite his outward appearance of health and energy, he was an old man. He had supported Katrea’s promotion to Paladin not only because of her strength, but because she was incorruptible and powerful enough to keep the more ambitious knights in their place. Without her, managing the Church would be that much more challenging. He really needed a capable successor, but no one currently fit the bill.

Although it made him depressed, the Pope could understand Katrea’s wish. He deeply regretted forcing so much on a young woman like her, and felt that he had taken away the best days of her youth. This time, he had to let her go. It was the right thing to do. She had already sacrificed so much for the Church and the world of Eterna. He said to Katrea, “Then I wish you all the best, and may God bless you.”

The edges of Katrea’s lips curled slightly into a smile. Many of the senior clergy and knights’ jaws dropped when they saw her smile. _The Ice Queen, smiling?!_ Katrea placed her right fist over her heart, knelt on one knee and lowered her head. This was the formal knight’s salute. Her voice filled with emotion, she said, “Thank you, and goodbye. May God bless you all.” She then stood up and quickly walked out of the room.

Outside the meeting room, Elliot leaned on a wall, looking at the blooming flowers dreamily. When he saw Katrea, though, he saluted clumsily and said in a lazy tone, “Did the meeting go well, Sir Knight?”

“We’re leaving,” replied Katrea.

“Will you not stroll through these gardens one last time before we go? You did spend half your life here,” said Elliot.

Katrea shook her head. “There is nothing I miss here.”

With an exaggerated flourish, Elliot held his hand out to her. In a mock gentlemanly tone, he said, “Your carriage awaits.”

Katrea glared fiercely at Elliot and placed a hand on her sword hilt...but it wasn’t there. It was then that she remembered, she would be leaving her sword, Lightshade, behind. The sword had accompanied her wherever she went for the past four years, and had saved her countless times. It was also, however, the same sword that had taken countless lives and stained her hands with blood.

The holy sword of the Paladin, Lightshade.

_I’ll have to use an ordinary sword from now on._ Katrea closed her eyes for a moment. _But that can’t be helped. I’ll find myself a better blade._ She opened her eyes and looked coldly at the stupidly grinning Elliot. _I really want to hit that annoying face._

SMACK!

A dazed Elliot Page lay on the ground five meters away, his head throbbing with pain. Katrea had actually punched him and sent him flying! _At least she held back, though, or I would be a heap of mangled flesh..._ He struggled to open his eyes, only to see a tall shadow standing over him, blocking out the bright sunlight.

With a frightening smile on her face, Katrea said, “Get up, Page. We’re going to the Adventurers’ Guild.” She then strode toward the stables swiftly, ignoring Elliot.

Elliot scrambled after her clumsily, still dizzy from being hit. “Have you decided where we are going after that?” he asked.

“To the Demon Territory.” Katrea did not even bother turning around to look at him. “Our first task is to solve the mystery of Elias’s death.”

Elliot hurriedly straightened himself up, a serious expression on his face. He said determinedly, “I will begin the necessary preparations for the investigation.”


End file.
